Governor Ralph Northam issued a statewide Stay at Home order on March 30 to protect the health and safety of Virginians and mitigate the spread of the novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19. The executive order takes effect immediately and will remain in place until June 10, 2020, unless amended or rescinded by a further executive order.
Link to full release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2020/march/headline-855702-en.html
Link to Executive Order Fifty-Five: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/executive-actions/EO-55-Temporary-Stay-at-Home-Order-Due-to-Novel-Coronavirus-(COVID-19).pdf
Updates
Call Center Hours Adjusted
Weekend hours for the Peninsula Health District Call Center (757-564-7069) have been discontinued. The Call Center will remain available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. You can also call the Virginia Department of Health at 877-ASK-VDH3.
Library Mobile Hotspots
Williamsburg Regional Library has purchased additional WiFi hotspots, each of which allows for 15 simultaneous connections and will be deployed to various locations around the Williamsburg area for set time periods beginning this week. Library staff will use the Mobile Library Services vehicles to take the hotspots to parking lots and neighborhoods where users can drive up, park, and take advantage of free internet access from the comfort and safety of their own cars.
The library has also set up several long-term WiFi hotspot locations where users can park and access WiFi from their cars 24/7. In the case of both the long-term and rotating WiFi access points, the internet signal put out by the hotspots will be sufficiently strong to be projected 30-foot distance around the MLS vehicle and to be used by up to 15 devices simultaneously. It is not necessary to have a library card to access any of the hotspots. www.wrl.org/hotspots
Please Don’t Litter
Just a friendly reminder to properly dispose of masks and gloves you may be wearing in public. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/respirator-use-faq.html
From the CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a series of COVID-19 related videos using American Sign Language (ASL): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvxT3gBp3Yk&list=PLvrp9iOILTQatwnqm61jqFrsfUB4RKh6J&index=5&t=10s
Business Updates
The Virginia Small Business Development Center has put together an overview and comparison of the different Small Business Administration Emergency Loans. This information may be helpful in deciding what is best for your business. Find the document online. https://www.virginiasbdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Virginia-SBDC-SBA-Loan-Overview.pdf
COVID-19 Small Business Rapid Response grant applications are due tomorrow, April 3. http://www.vcwhamptonroads.org/corona-virus-update/
Economic Development has launched a newsletter – Economic Development Emergency Information. Business owners may subscribe online: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/list.aspx?ListID=356. You can view the April 2 news online: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/CivicSend/ViewMessage/message/108577.
For more information for businesses, please visit https://www.yesjamescitycountyva.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=3751
Previously Released Information
Child Care for Essential Personnel
With the recent long-term closures of the public schools, many families who work in the medical field and other essential jobs in the community must find child care for their children. There are a large number of child care centers currently open and ready to enroll children of these essential personnel. Child Care Aware of Virginia has the most up-to-date information about the child care options in the region. Essential employees in need of child care can call 1-866-KIDS TLC (1-866-543-7852) for assistance. Full news release: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=3786
Questions About Medicaid?
Virginia Medicaid is taking steps to improve access to care for Medicaid and FAMIS members. https://coverva.org/covid19/
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
While social distancing for COVID-19, take the time to check in on friends and family to see how they are doing. Set up a daily phone or video call to touch base and share the best and most challenging parts of the day.
Need help or know someone who does?
Contact the Disaster Distress Helpline or call 1-800-985-5990
Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline or call 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224
County Offices and Services
As announced on March 23, all James City County offices, facilities, public basketball courts, tennis courts, pickleball courts, volleyball courts, sports courts, athletic fields, playgrounds, skate park and recreation centers and libraries are closed to the public until further notice. This includes any courts at local schools. The County continues to provide most services and staff are available for assistance by phone or email. Visit https://jamescitycountyva.gov for more information on individual departments and services.
All County parks continue to be open; however, all restrooms in County Parks are closed. The Chickahominy Riverfront Park Campground and restrooms will close on Friday, March 27 and will remain closed until further notice. In accordance with federal guidelines to curb and mitigate the spread of Coronavirus, or COVID-19, gatherings of 10 or more people in any park area will be asked to separate or leave the facilities.
For more information
- Hotline: 757-564-2140
- https://jamescitycountyva.gov/covid
- www.facebook.com/jamescitycounty
- www.twitter.com/jamescitycounty
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Information:
- Virginia Department of Health (VDH): www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus, Phone: 1-877-ASK-VDH3 or Peninsula Health District Call Center: 757-564-7069, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV, https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2020.asp
- World Health Organization (WHO): www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus2019
- FEMA Rumor Control: https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus-rumor-control
Media Contact:
Renee Dallman, Public Information Officer
757-272-3337; renee.dallman@jamescitycountyva.gov